


One Day

by starspangledsprocket



Category: The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Character Study, Fluff, M/M, Steve Tony Appreciation Celebration Day, Tony Stark Love Fest, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, and gets many, stac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 20:30:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2745974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starspangledsprocket/pseuds/starspangledsprocket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Tony was always at his most beautiful in the morning."</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Day

**Author's Note:**

> It's officially Steve Tony Appreciation Celebration! This is a Secret Santa gift for pixieknight10805, who, being sick of all the Tony-hate recently, wanted shameless fluff. I hope this is something like what you wanted! <3

Tony was always at his most beautiful in the morning. Steve lived for the quiet moments upon waking where he got to roll over and simply watch Tony sleep. Dark eyelashes fanned out against rosy cheeks, plump, pink lips slack as little puffs of air slipped between them, hair a tangle of dark waves; Tony was truly a sight to behold. Add to that a slither of early morning sunlight streaking across bare, golden skin, and Steve found himself falling in love all over again every morning without fail.

It was true, Steve could be sentimental; Tony had certainly told him so many a time. He just couldn't help but feel, especially in the warm, safe haven of their bedroom, that Anthony Edward Stark was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Not the serum, though that had certainly helped him get to this point, nor the Avengers – _Tony_. Amazing, brilliant Tony, who cared deeply for everyone around him, though he would never say so. Tony, who put his life and soul into his creations, so much so that they had personalities of their own. Tony, who was trying to atone for all his bad deeds by being the best man he could be.

Tony, who Steve loved with all his heart.

Untangling his hand from the comforter that covered them, he reached out and cupped Tony's face. Gently, so as not to wake him, he brushed his thumb over a pert bottom lip so he could feel physical proof of the fact that Tony was alive, there, with him. Warm air drifted over the tip of his thumb and he smiled softly, completely content.

“I love you,” he whispered, breaking the fragile silence that had long since fallen across the room.

As he turned slowly and slipped out of the bed to find some underwear, Tony slept on, oblivious to everything around him. Steve didn't mind; he was getting better at drawing him out of the workshop and up to bed at a reasonable hour, but it was still a commodity. If Tony was asleep, Steve would let him sleep for as long as he needed.

Quickly locating a fresh pair of underwear and an under-shirt that didn't smell too bad, Steve slipped into them and padded quietly out of the room, closing the door gently behind him. The penthouse was a mess; they'd begun making love on the couch before they'd stumbled to bed together the evening previously, so there were discarded clothes and knocked over lampshades everywhere. The popcorn they had been sharing over a movie was still there, now cold and stale. On his way to the kitchen, Steve picked up loose items and straightened others, but ultimately dropped everything but the popcorn bowl at the door to the kitchen; he would deal with the dirty clothes later.

He set the popcorn bowl next to the sink after tipping its contents into a zip-tie bag to throw out for the birds later. That done, and whistling softly to himself, he began pulling ingredients out of the fridge. Breakfast in bed with the love of his life sounded like a perfect way to start the morning, after all. Setting the bacon off to fry, he turned and pulled his phone towards him from across the table. Shooting a quick text off to Pepper first, he opened up a news app and began to browse as he turned back to make a start on the eggs. The room was pleasantly still and quiet as he turned the bacon with one hand and then put his phone down to make a start on the omelettes.

Steve loved to cook. It was one of the things he had been able to do when he was small and skinny, and his Ma had always been the best teacher. Now, he enjoyed nothing more than to cook for Tony. To see his face light up over something Steve had made gave him no greater joy, and being able to keep Tony healthy and happy with his cooking made his heart burst with pride.

Throwing the bacon into the omelette mixture, he reached out and grabbed some bread to put in the toaster with one hand. After six months of being with Tony (and many months before), he had learned the genius' favourite breakfast by heart: A bacon omelette, hold the cheese (because it made him gassy so early in the day), a couple of slices of toast with strawberry jelly, and if it was a particularly good day, Steve had found he could even get some fruit into him.

Today was going to be a good day.

He had timed everything just right because by the time the toast popped up he was plating up their omelettes. Buttering his own toast and then spreading Tony's favourite jelly over the rest, he arranged everything neatly on their plates with a little space to spare for some cut up strawberries and a handful of blueberries each. Happy with his presentation, he loaded both plates onto a tray along with a carafe of orange juice and a couple of tumblers, and made his way back through the penthouse to their bedroom.

Tony was still dead to the world when he quietly pushed the door open, but that was okay; Steve hadn't expected anything less. Setting the tray down on his bedside table, he climbed back into bed and curled around Tony under the covers. Pulling him gently towards him, Steve dropped soft, chaste kisses all over Tony's face and neck, all the while cradling his body against his chest. He felt the exact moment Tony began to stir against his hands and mouth, and smiled against sleep-warmed skin as he continued to kiss every inch of Tony he could find.

“Whassis?” Tony grunted, flopping a not-yet coordinated arm in Steve's general direction. “M'sleep.”

Steve smiled harder against Tony's bare shoulder. “It's time to wake up. I made breakfast.”

“S'too early t'get up.”

“It's a good job I made you breakfast in bed, then,” Steve hummed, and then laughed when Tony turned slowly in his arms to give him a mistrusting look.

“What's the occasion?” he asked warily. “Is today some kind of anniversary?”

“No,” Steve shook his head, though he liked the idea of getting to have an anniversary (or many) with Tony. “Can't I treat the man I love with the adoration and respect he deserves?”

Tony hummed suspiciously, obviously not convinced, but he still sat up when Steve moved to grab the tray from his bedside table. Careful not to spill the juice everywhere, Steve placed it between them and leaned in to snatch a quick kiss from Tony's lips before they became too occupied with food.

“Did you... is there bacon in that?” Tony asked, finally awake enough to see what was being put in front of him.

“Of course,” Steve replied.

“And -”

“The strawberry jelly you like, yes,” he nodded, taking a bite of his own toast. “It's gonna go cold if you keep staring at it like it's poisoned.”

“I'm just trying to figure out the motive,” Tony mumbled, but did pick up his plate and a fork to start on his omelette.

“You think I need a motive to treat you nicely?” Steve asked, a little heartbroken.

“No,” Tony shook his head, mouth full of eggs and bacon. “It's just that nobody's ever done something like this for me without one.”

Realising that he had replied aloud, Tony immediately froze, fork halfway to his mouth. Sighing deeply, Steve put his toast down, moved Tony's fork back to the tray, and cupped his face for a sweet, tender kiss.

“I just forget sometimes,” Tony whispered against his mouth. “You're not like all the... you don't want anything from me.”

“Just your heart,” Steve corrected gently, not quite ready to let Tony go yet. Instead, he dropped his hands to Tony's shoulders and pressed their foreheads together. “In exchange for mine.”

“See, why does that feel more scary than the thought of you physically wanting something from me?” Tony chuckled, but there was a nervousness to his tone that Steve abhorred above all else.

“I promise,” he whispered, not knowing what else to say, “to only ever do anything for or to you out of love. That's it. No ulterior motive, I swear; just love, always.”

Tony's breath hitched a little, and his eyes fluttered closed. For a moment, Steve was certain he would start crying, but after a few seconds to get himself together Tony opened his eyes again and nodded.

“Okay,” he whispered in return. “I believe you.”

“Thank you,” Steve replied, because he knew how much that little act of trust cost a man like Tony. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Pressing one last kiss to Tony's lips, Steve moved away to avoid crushing their breakfast and went back to his toast. They ate in silence for a few moments, the tension that had settled across the room slowly dissipating, until Tony cracked a grin when Steve shot him a glance. With that, everything was wonderful again.

“What time is it?” Tony asked eventually. “I have a meeting at eleven -”

“No you don't,” Steve shook his head, and grinned when Tony sent him a confused look. “I texted Pepper while I was making breakfast and said you couldn't make it. I thought it'd be nice to spend the whole day together.”

“You... and she _bought that_?” Tony asked, obviously stunned. “She never lets me miss meetings when _I_ say I need a day off.”

“That's because you'd always rather be here than in a meeting,” Steve replied, not even bothering to hide how happy that thought made him. “If you used that excuse, you'd never go to another meeting in your life.”

“Well, of course. That's the whole plan,” Tony tutted, the start of a beautiful smile tugging at his lips.

“Good things are worth working for,” Steve shrugged, popping the last of his toast into his mouth so he could tug his omelette towards him. “You've got a great company, Tony.”

“Is that why you made me breakfast?”

Steve looked up sharply. A little frown was starting to form at Tony's brow, and he just had to lean over and smooth it out with his thumb.

“You are the best and most important thing in my life,” he murmured, “and you are absolutely worth working for.”

Tony smiled at the compliment and caught Steve's hand in his own, drawing it down from his brow so he could kiss it. Steve let him, savouring the moment and the feel of Tony's lips against his skin.

“I know your game,” Tony murmured against the back of his hand. “You're buttering me up with good food and compliments so I'll give it up to you.”

Steve laughed and knocked the end of Tony's nose gently with his still entwined hand. “You gave it up a long time ago.”

Tony gasped, faux-hurt, and then laughed. “It's not my fault you're the peak of human perfection. How was I supposed to keep my hands off you?”

“You don't; that's the point,” Steve replied with a sly grin. “Finish your fruit and then maybe I'll let you put your hands on me again.”

“Actually...” Tony trailed off, and then sighed when Steve raised an eyebrow. “Can we just cuddle? My ass is still sore from last night, and -”

“Hey, hey,” Steve cut in softly. “You don't have to explain yourself to me. If you want to cuddle, we can cuddle.”

“Okay,” Tony whispered, a light blush peppering his cheeks. God, Steve loved that blush. He saw it so rarely that it felt like a particular achievement every time it happened.

Deciding they had both eaten enough, he picked up the tray and put it back on his bedside table. That done, he turned back to Tony and pulled him forwards, shuffling them both further down the bed and under the covers. Tony sagged against him immediately and Steve took just a moment to run his hand up and down his naked back. Naked Tony skin just had to be touched, after all; it was law.

As they laid together, Steve let his eyes flutter closed and his mind wander. He had thought Tony had been doing better with the issue of his self worth lately, but obviously there was still a long way to go before he was truly happy with who he was. It made Steve's chest ache, because he loved Tony with all his heart, but he knew that Tony would never truly believe he deserved Steve's love until he loved himself.

Steve was just going to have to try harder to prove his love, it seemed. He'd keep trying until his dying day, if that's what it took. Hell, he'd find a way to prove he loved Tony from beyond the grave, and that Tony deserved to be loved in turn.

“Steve?” Tony whispered against his chest, and Steve hummed to prove he was listening. “You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, too, y'know.”

Steve stilled for a moment, and then slowly turned and slid down the bed a little so he was face to face with Tony. With a gentle, adoring smile, he cupped Tony's face and stroked his cheek.

“You deserve to be happy,” he murmured. “You deserve to be loved, Tony. I'll spend the rest of my life loving you.”

“You -”

“I won't ask yet,” he went on, feeling Tony start to tense up next to him, “because it's only been six months. You have to know, though, that you're it for me. You're all I could ever want or need, Tony.”

“ _Steve_ ,” Tony whispered, voice cracked and reverent. “What are you saying?”

“I'm not asking you to marry me,” he replied, and felt some of the tension drain from Tony's body again. “If that's not what you want, I won't ever ask. I don't need a piece of paper to prove my love for you. I'm just saying... it's you, Tony. It will always be you.”

Instead of replying, because he seemed beyond words, Tony closed the distance between them and caught Steve's lips in a desperate kiss. Steve let him lead and take from it what he needed for a few moments, before coaxing Tony's mouth open with his tongue to deepen it. Tony groaned and shuddered, and Steve couldn't help but smile, withdrawing his tongue again for a last, chaster kiss.

“I love you,” he whispered, and just had to lean in for another kiss. “I love you, I love you, I love you -”

“How did I get so lucky?” Tony asked quietly, breathlessly, and Steve sighed against his cheek.

“You're not the lucky one,” he replied in kind, and felt Tony shudder under him again.

One day, he vowed, he would make Tony believe it.

One day.


End file.
